Railway-grade crossing



Dec. 2, 1930.

R. T. BELL RAILWAY GRADE CROSSING Filed July 29, 1929 FIG. 4.

FIG. 6.

INVENTOR. RAYMOND 2. BELL A TTORNE Y.

Patented Dec. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND T. BELL, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO A. 0. SMITH CORPORA- TION, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK RAILWAY-GRADE oRo'ssINe Application filed July 29,

This invention relates to an improved railway grade crossing wherein the street level or road bed is brought tothe top level of the rails being crossed in order that vehicles may easilyand smoothly pass thereover.

. In order to facilitate'repair of the railroad bed, it has heretofore been the practice to provide railroad crossingsof more or less temporary construction s'o'that the same may be readily inserted and removed from the crossing. I

The railroad crossings now in common use generally comprise a wooden frame inserted between the rails having a planked surface or a wooden frame between which crushed stone, gravel, or other earthy materials are packed. Such crossings soon become worn and rough so that the same mustbe replaced frequently. I I

I One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a crossing which is simple and easy to construct and which will have sufficient strength to withstand heavy traffic and render long periods of satisfactory servme.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide .a crossing which may bereadily and rapidly assembled to minimize the interrup tion of traffic dueto. the fabrication of the -crossing.

A further object of the, invention is to provide a crossing built up of a minimum number of standard parts which may be manufactured in the shop and which may be transported in sections and readily built up into a crossing. j v

A further obj ect of the invention is to proviole a railway crossing having a plurality of ,metallic interlocking sections. 40

from the following detailed description of Various otherobjects will become apparent the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring now to the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates the finished railway crossing.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof.

Fig. 3 illustrates separate individual sections.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view ofthe sections and 1929. Serial No. 382,005.

be customary in .railroad construction.

-The highway or roadcrossing comprises a plurality of intermediate sections 3 of sheet metal preferably of channel formation, the base portion of the channel being adapted to form the surface of the road or highway crossing. V p 1 r The sidewalls 44: of the channel are preferably outwardly flaring and their free ends are provided with flanges 55 for engaging the cross ties 2. .Portions of the sidewalls are cut away at predetermined intervalslto provide slots for the reception ofthe flanges 5'5 and the extended portions of thefside.

walls 44: of the adjacent clearly shown in Fig. 3. V

The'sections 6 adjacent the rails and at the end of the railway crossing may be of special construction, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

sections, as is Such sections 6 are provided at one side with.

astraightvertical portion 7 having an inturned flange 8. A The other side of the sections is inclined to conform withtheinter- 'mediate channel sections, and portions thereof are likewise cutout to form slots for the insertion ofv the flanges and. side walls of the adjacent intermediate sections. I The sectionsthus. provided may; be readily assembled ininterlocking relation. to each other to form a crossing which may be readily inserted and removed from the roadbed and which may be endowed with suflicient rigidity to withstand the vehicleftrafiic for long periodsof time. j

In case the crossing approaches the railroad atan angle other than a right" angle,

the interlocking sections may be placed in staggered relation to provide the desired angle and to this end the length of the cut away portions and the legs interlocking therewith may be of such dimensions as to permit the desired angle by staggering the adjacent sections as aforementioned.

The sections thus built up to form a cross ing may be secured to the railroad bed or cross ties 2 in any suitable manner. In the drawings, special securing elements are pro vided, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The securing members, shown in Fig. 5, comprise a base plate 9 having outwardly inclined flanges 10-10 conforming to the inclined surfaces of the crossing sections. The base plate 9 is provided with an aperture through which is inserted a bolt 11, spike, or other securing means which latter is driven into the cross ties 2.

Fig. 6 illustrates a securing member for securing the ends of the sections similar to that shown in Fig. 5 with the exception that the end thereof is provided with a downwardly turned flange 12 adapted to engage the end of the sections.

In lieu of having the cut away portions set opposite one another, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 4, the cut away port-ion on one side of the base of the channel may be staggered with relation to the cut away portion on the opposite side without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Although the invention has been described in connection with railway crossings, it is understood that the same may be employed to bring any street or roadbed to the level of an obstruction extending across said road or street.

Having thus described the invention, it is understood that various modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A railroad crossing comprising a plurality of sheet metal channel sections in interlocking engagement with each other.

2. A railroad crossing comprising a plu rality of sheet metal channel sections, each of said sections having oppositely inclined side walls, said side walls having portions thereof cut away to permit the insertion of flanges from the adjacent sections to form an interlocking construction.

3. A railroad crossing comprising end sections and a plurality of inverted channelshaped intermediate sections, each of said intermediate sections having supporting legs and having portions of the side walls cut away at predetermined intervals to permit the insertion of the legs of the next adjacent section to form an interlocking construction, and means for securing said sections in interlocking relation.

4. A railway crossing comprising end sections and a plurality of inverted channelshaped intermediate sections, each of said intermediate sections having supporting legs and having portions of the side walls cut away at predetermined intervals to permit the insertion of the legs of the next adjacent section to form an interlocking construction, said end sections having one straight vertical side portion and one inclined side portion, said inclined side portion having portions thereof cut away at predetermined intervals to receive the legs of the next adjacent intermediate section, and means for securing said sections in interlocking relation.

5. A railway crossing comprising a plurality of interlocked sheet metal channel members, the channels thereof being inverted and having slanted interdependent side walls, a foundation for supporting said members, and wedging means disposed between said members for securing the same to said foundation.

6. A railway crossing comprising a plurality of spaced tie members extending transversely of the tracks, a plurality of sheet metal channel sections arrangedparallel to the tracks and in interlocking engagement with each other upon said spaced tie members, and means fastening said channel sections to said tie members.

7. A railway crossing comprising a plurality of sheet'metal members arranged in j uxtaposition, each of said members comprising a horizontal portion forming a tread surface and a downwardly extending integral flange, and means for supporting and securing said members in interlocked relation.

8. A railway crossing comprising a plurality of sheet metal members arranged in juxtaposition, each of said members comprising a tread portion having its upper surface adapted to extend flush with the upper surface of said rail and downwardly extending integral flange portions; means disposed beneath said members for supporting the same, and means for securing said members in interlocking relation and to said supporting means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this 27th day of July, 1929.

RAYMOND T. BELL. 

